It has been two decades since Onur Hekim settled in Ukraine Kyiv. As the city made face in turmoil of the Russian-Ukrainian war, the Turkish restaurateur decided to help war-weary locals seeking shelter from impending attacks. Every day he and local volunteers prepare food for nearly 1,000 Ukrainians in the city and deliver it to peopleeither at restaurant or in the metro stations where they sought refuge.
Hekim is from the western province of Turkey of Izmir and led a restaurant in Kyiv before war breaks out out. He chose to help the victims instead of leaving the city where many shops closed because of the war.
In one post share on social medial called on volunteers to prepare meals at home restaurant for the people displaced by war. Many volunteers have signed up for the project in of which 1,000 people are fed daily.
Addressing Anadolu Agency (AA) on On Monday, Hekim said he never thought of leave Ukraine even when war broke out out in the country. “I lived in Kyiv for 20 years I stayed on Ukrainian soil for 20 years, I breathed in the air of this placeI grew up up with these people”, said Hekim. “There is absolutely no financial Gain for me, on on the contrary, today is our 14th day of food distribution. I bear all the expenses myself. I do that with pleasure because I have earned my bread on this earth for 20 years,” he said.
In places where the fighting is intense, he said people hug the volunteers who distribute food parcels. “It’s an incredible reaction. It’s very difficult for me to describe those feelings,” he said. added.
Ukraine hosts a significant number of Turks community. Since the war broke outTurkey has evacuated thousands of its citizens of the country, as well as with citizens of other countries as well as some Ukrainians with relatives in Turkey.
Turkey in during this time runs humanitarian aid campaigns for people affected by war. The Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) recently sent 13 trucks of aid to the country and plans deploy more. charity is active both in a town on the Romanian border where people flee, as well as Chernivtsi in Ukraine region. Turkish Red Crescent President Kerem Kınık told the media last week they would do also send shelter equipment for moved people for the country. The Turkish ministry of Health also set up a field hospital on the Romanian-Ukrainian border. In Chernivtsi, a mobile food of the Turkish Red Crescent operates in the main square while volunteers regularly help out in other spots too.
